The Forge
by countbackwardsfrominfinity
Summary: Fresh out of highschool, Astrid has managed to land herself a job in government while she saves up for college. One block down from her office is a cafe called The Forge. The owner has one hand but he makes good coffee and the chef is cute and makes great food. Couple this with some lively co-workers and she's in for an interesting year. (an extension of my original one-shot)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer that didn't fit in the summary: I own nothing except the plot. All character rights belong to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks.**

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><p>At 19 years of age and fresh out of high school, it was her first day on the job during her year off before college and she wanted to make a good impression. That meant she was in town before anybody else and that was how she found herself in the little cafe two blocks down from her office at seven in the morning, ordering a long black with one sugar and a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. Settling down in one of the many empty chairs, Astrid Hofferson, high school graduate and newly employed government worker looked around as she took in her surroundings, fairly typical cafe style, neatly arranged tables and chairs which were simple without being too Spartan. The cash register was positioned next to a glass display cabinet which showcased a variety of tempting pastries and savoury breakfast croissants. The cafe itself was situated right on the corner of the block, which gave her a good view of all the traffic coming and going, even at this early hour. Why the owner had decided to dub the cafe as "The Forge" was beyond her, but it was a cosy little place and she could see herself coming here for lunch every now and then. Behind the counter the owner busied himself with her coffee. He was a big man, sandy beard and moustache giving him a rather fatherly look, and Astrid was mystified and amazed that he could operate the coffee machine with his prosthetic hand. But he did a good job of it and he brought her coffee out promptly, setting it down in front of her and she thanked him with a smile. He inclined his head to her and hobbled his way back to the counter and she noticed his fake leg too.<p>

_"Interesting man to own a cafe." _She mused to herself as she took a sip of her drink, the hot, caffeinated beverage warming her from the inside. A few minutes later a voice called from the kitchen window and her toasted sandwich appeared, followed by a mop of auburn hair as the chef poked his head out to call for someone named Gobber. Astrid had looked up at the noise and she now found her eyes locked on this geeky, but very cute looking young man who was apparently the chef in this establishment. She didn't notice herself staring but she did notice his green eyes, the way his hair fell messily over his forehead, not quite covering his eyes. As he looked around for this Gobber person, he noticed her gaze and he stopped for a moment. Astrid felt herself blushing as he grinned at her, one side of his mouth curling upwards in amusement. She was suddenly very self conscious and she dropped her eyes quickly, gods did she hope she looked decent. Since it was her first day she had taken the time to dress in what she considered appropriate office wear, a simple button up shirt coupled with some dark coloured trousers left her looking decent, but not as if she was trying too hard. But she couldn't decide if she felt over dressed or too exposed as his eyes moved quickly, taking in her appearance. When the owner, who was also apparently the man named Gobber, brought over her sandwich Astrid looked up as she thanked him, and her eyes travelled back to the kitchen window where the young man was now casually leaning on the sill, elbows propped and a dish cloth draped over his shoulder as he stared back at her easily. She blushed again as he winked at her and she dropped her head quickly, trying to focus on her breakfast.

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><p>The second time, as luck would have it, was later that day when her co-workers insisted on taking her out for lunch. And as luck would also have it, they happened to be regulars at The Forge. Astrid looked around as she sat down again, trying to act casual as she searched for any sign of the chef from that morning. The other two females in her office, Rachael and Heather already knew what they wanted to eat, and they strolled up to the counter to place their orders.<p>

"What are you going to get Astrid?" Heather asked as she looked back at their table to where the blonde was sitting.

"Oh. Um..." Astrid dropped her eyes to the menu, trying to decide what it was she would order.

"Any suggestions?" She asked back, and Gobber looked up from the register where he was punching in the other orders.

"Hey Hiccup. Any recommendations for today?" He called into the kitchen, and the chef, Hiccup, appeared, slinging his cloth over his shoulder as he leaned on the door frame to the kitchen.

"Fresh salmon came in from the markets today. That's always good." He said, not noticing how Astrid looked him up and down as he stood there. He was tall, easily a few inches taller than her, his limbs were long and lanky and the apron tied around his waist showed no sign of an excessive gut.

"How's that sound Astrid?" Heather asked again, and Astrid took her eyes off Hiccup as she answered her co-worker.

"Sure. Sounds great." She said lamely, and she could feel her face heating up as Hiccup switched his attention to her, notified by Heathers question.

"You're becoming a regular here." He called, the same easy grin on his face as earlier.

"She just started with us today." Rachael informed him.

"I hope these ladies aren't being too hard on you on your first day." He joked, and all Astrid could do was shake her head. He laughed and she thought she could listen to that sound all day, but there was food cooking in the kitchen and he shrugged off the doorway, heading back to his work station. Gobber input the final order and the register dinged, Rachael and Heather paid for the meals and went back to their table to wait.

"You've been here before?" Rachael asked as she sat down.

"Only once." Astrid said quickly. "I came here for breakfast this morning."

"Oh you should have said so. We would have taken you somewhere else to eat." Heather took a sip from her glass of orange juice as she spoke.

"No it's okay." Astrid hurried to reassure her. "I like it here."

"Yeah, the foods good."

"And the view isn't bad either." Rachelle wiggled her eyebrows at Astrid and she flushed.

"It's okay." She agreed quietly.

"You know he's single." Heather put in casually.

"Who?" Astrid asked, playing dumb.

"Hiccup."

"Oh." Astrid didn't look her co-worker in the eye as she cracked open the lid on her mineral water.

"He's a tough nut to crack though." Rachelle said. "Believe me, we've been trying for months." Astrid didn't feel as though she should say anything, it was only her first day after all, and she didn't want to offend or alienate her co-workers. Their food came out quickly and Gobber set their plates down in front of them, each of the women thanking him in turn. Whatever way he'd cooked it, Astrids salmon was delicious and it disappeared quickly. Rachelle and Heather were slower with their meals, obviously well acquainted with the food here and it gave Astrid time to sit back and relax for the remainder of her lunch break. Movement caught her eye and she looked across to see Hiccup emerging from the kitchen and heading towards their table. Astrid quickly looked back at her two co-workers, pleading silently for help, but they were either too engrossed in their own food or deliberately ignoring her.

"Everything was to your satisfaction?" Hiccup asked as he reached them. Astrid waited for someone else to reply before finally admitting to herself that she was the only one who had actually finished their meal.

"Oh! Yes, thank you, it was delicious."

"You got lucky today. That fish only came in two hours ago, you won't get much fresher." Astrid nodded as she pretended to understand the intricacies of cooking and fresh food. "Can I take your plate?" Hiccup was holding out his hand expectantly and it took Astrid a moment to clear her mind of any daydreams about proposals and rings.

"Thank you." She flushed, not looking him in the eye. Had she been looking however, she would have seen his cheeky grin and the casual wink he gave Rachelle and Heather as they finally looked up from their meals.

"Goddammit. He's fond of you and it's been less than a day." Rachelle sighed, seemingly defeated. She spoke quietly as Hiccup turned away and strode back into the kitchen. "He's never taken _our _plates before."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to step on any toes." Astrid muttered, but the other two girls were smirking at her.

"Third times the charm I suppose." Rachelle shrugged dramatically as Heather joined in.

"I knew I should have dyed my hair sooner."

"You'll have to let us know how good he is in bed." Rachelle whispered conspiratorially, causing Astrid to blush even harder and fumble over her words.

"Wha-I-what. He...I...you can't be serious." Her fellow workers were trying their best to contain their laughter as they watched her struggle to form a coherent sentence and Astrid looked around in exasperation, catching a glimpse of Hiccup as he worked, head down and all business back in the kitchen and a little voice in the back of her mind whispered.

_"Oh this is going to be a fun year."_


	2. Chapter 2

Astrid settled into her new job rather quickly. Because she was only there on a one year contract she could afford to just keep her head down and not worry about the petty squabbling she had already noticed between those of her co-workers who aspired to higher positions of power. Neither Rachelle nor Heather had any plans to go to college ("I did enough study in high school thank you very much." Was Rachelle's excuse, and Heather simply said she was happy where she was) and because they were only a year older than her, Astrid quickly became the new member of their group. They introduced her to the other staff that worked on their half of the fourth floor, Frank and Shaun. Frank seemed to possess an IQ that would be better suited to scientific research rather than a government office, but coupled with his quiet and professional nature, Heather assured Astrid that he was a shoo-in for a job higher up the chain of command. Shaun seemed to enjoy his work, even if only because he thought he was the best looking guy in the building. He would strut out of the elevator doors every morning with his sleeves rolled up, some sort of workout drink in his hand, then engage in a non-too quiet conversation with Frank about how he had benched 200 that morning. Or maybe he'd curled 50. Astrid never bothered to pay much attention. Still, despite his cockiness, he got on with everybody and if anything he livened the place up when Heather or Rachelle asked him if he'd learnt how to cook a proper meal yet. Everything he ate seemed to be come out of a takeaway container.

"I'm dirty bulking." He told them. "I need to eat big to get big." Astrid had looked at Heather questioningly, but all the dark haired girl could do was smirk and pretend to gag.

"He thinks he'll get rid of his food baby when it's summer." She told Astrid one day when they had the office to themselves. Like Astrid, Heather preferred to be at work early, so the two of them usually had at least ten minutes before anybody else arrived in the morning. Astrid said nothing as she thought about Shauns "food baby", the way that not even his winter jacket could hide the bulge that was his stomach, not at all like the slimness of _Hiccup._ She was still lost in her thoughts of the tall, lanky chef when Heather handed her a steaming cardboard cup.

"One long black with a single sugar." Astrid thanked her as she took the coffee, the blonde had been planning to stop by The Forge on her way to work, but being the middle of winter and all, the cold had driven all thoughts from her mind except to get into the heat of the office. Taking a sip and sighing in appreciation, Astrid sat back in her chair before a thought struck her.

"How do you know how I like my coffee?" She asked Heather, who had taken up residence on the corner of Astrids desk.

"I don't. Gobber does." She said simply as she focused on warming her hands around her own cup of coffee.

"How does he know?"

"He remembers the first coffee you ordered."

"That was almost a month ago now." Astrid said in surprise. "The man must have an uncanny memory."

"He does, among other things." Heather told her, she paused for a moment as she took a sip of the hot liquid in her hands before she noticed Astrids questioning gaze and continued. "Well he also possesses a rather amazing ability to make a good coffee. Especially considering he's missing a hand."

"What's the story with that?" Astrid asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Legend has it he was a fisherman on the trawling boats-"

"Legend?" Astrid said skeptically, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"I'm trying to tell a story here." Heather muttered, then when Astrid waved her hand to indicate she should continue; "Anyway, apparently one time there was a shark in the nets, and seeing as sharks are still worth something, they were going to keep it. Until Gobber went to move it and it whipped around and bit his hand off." Astrid pulled a face at the thought, but didn't say anything. "They got him back, stitched him up, but he decided to call it a day and leave the fishing behind. That was years ago, and now he owns The Forge."

"Bit of a drastic career change." Astrid murmured, and Heather nodded slowly, still sipping her cofffee.

"I'm not complaining though. He makes the best coffee in the city." And Astrid had to agree, it was _very _good coffee.

"What about Hiccup?" Astrid sounded casual enough, but Heather smirked at her before she answered.

"What about him?" She replied, wanting to string this out as much as possible.

"Well-I mean. Like. What's his story?" Astrid fumbled over her words, a month of meals at The Forge and she still got flustered talking about the young man.

"You should ask him yourself." Heather grinned. "You seem to be the one he likes." Despite her best attempts to play it off, Astrid flushed a little at Heathers words. Well, he _was _cute. And she'd never had a boyfriend in high school. But they didn't talk much besides a few sentences every now and then when there wasn't a big lunch rush, which wasn't very often. Astrid was about to reply when the elevator dinged and Shaun walked into the room, sleeves rolled up and chugging from the shaker thing he always carried.

"Woo! Let's get into it! Smashed 220 on the bench this morning, nothing can stop me today!" Heather rolled her eyes at Astrid before hopping off the desk and moving across to her own workspace.

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><p>Hiccup was in the kitchen at one of his workbenches, slicing chicken for that days lunch service when a bunch of customers walked in. He looked up and out through the service window, hoping to catch a glance of that blonde braid he'd become rather fond of seeing, but having seen nothing of the sort, he returned his attention to the job at hand. His movements on autopilot, he sliced the chicken breasts length ways for the chicken burgers and club sandwiches on the menu, then with that job done he put aside that knife and cutting board before washing his hands and selecting another knife to chop parsley for garnishes. Grabbing a bunch from the herb shelf, he began to shred it finely. This was something he'd done hundreds of times before and he let his mind wander as he worked. He was used to compliments and some flirting from the various office workers and business women, Rachelle and Heather foremost among them, but lately they had seemed to lay off a bit and he guessed it was because of Astrid. Although if they weren't teasing him they were almost certainly having a go at her. He had never payed much attention to the customers who came and went. He knew the regulars of course, and originally he had thought nothing of winking at the cute blonde girl who ordered a grilled cheese and tomato, she was just a good looking customer who would probably never drop by again. Then she had shown up again that day, in the company of Rachelle and Heather no less, and he had found out that she would be sticking around for at least a year. He'd never been in a relationship, and he didn't think he was much of a flirt, but going through cooking school, where competition was cut-throat to say the least, had given him a sense of confidence, which had manifested itself not only in his work, but in his ability to talk to women. The two office workers were partly to thank for the latter. Originally he had been embarrassed by their flirting, but over time he had gotten used to it, even begun to give it back here and there. Astrid was pretty, she was sticking around for a bit, and while Hiccup didn't go so far as to consciously decide that he was going to try and woo the girl, he had to admit that he was rather fond of her. The sound of voices signalled the arrival of yet more customers and a glance at the clock told him that the lunchtime rush was about to start. Taking a breath in preparation, he took the first order ticket that Gobber had put through, gave it a once over, then hung it along the metal railing where all the tickets were kept, wringing his hands together as he set about cooking the first meal.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid breathed in the now-familiar smell of The Forge as she, Rachelle and Heather entered the cafe. The strongest smell was that of fresh coffee, but now that she was a regular, Astrid noticed the faint undertone of sweet pastries and the slightly stronger smell of whatever food Hiccup was cooking that day. The trio picked an empty table, leaving room for two more as Frank and Shaun would be joining them shortly, so for now the women made themselves comfortable and pretended to look over the menu. Sure enough the two males appeared soon after and took their seats, Shaun looking pleased with himself as a few customers glanced at him a second time as he sat down. Frank asked them all what they wanted, mentally noting each meal with the precision that would see him promoted sooner rather than later, before stepping up to the counter to order. Winter meant good, hearty food, so schnitzels for Rachelle and Heather, a steak burger and chips for Shaun, club sandwich for Frank himself,

"And a chef's recommendation for Astrid." He finished, looking back at the table where Astrid was engaged in conversation with her two female co-workers while Shaun not-so-subtly leaned back in his chair and puffed out his chest. Gobber smiled as he entered the order into the till before stepping into the doorway to the kitchen and speaking to Hiccup. Frank returned his credit card to his wallet and resumed his seat, while inside the kitchen Hiccup moved around his workspace, starting up whatever he needed for the meals and trying to think of what he was going to give Astrid. There were several options he could have picked from, glancing around the kitchen he noted the freshly cut steaks and salmon fillets, but he'd already given her salmon before. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it, she'd ordered it several times in the weeks since, and steaks were nice, but rather heavy for a lunchtime meal. And he felt something different would be better. As he moved back to check on the schnitzels, Hiccup spotted the large stainless steel pot of thick pumpkin soup he'd left simmering earlier that day.

"Perfect." He murmured.

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><p>As was the trademark of the cafe, the groups food came out quickly but while Gobber may have been a good barista, even he could only carry three plates, so Hiccup followed him out of the kitchen. Gobber set down Frank, Shaun and Rachelles meals as Hiccup placed Heathers order in front of her before depositing Astrids soup and garlic bread with a flourish.<p>

"Chef's recommendation." He smiled. "Pumpkin soup and garlic bread. Perfect winter food." Astrid smiled back at him in thanks as the smell of the soup assailed her nostrils. It did smell good and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

"Don't they let you eat in the office?" Hiccup joked, pretending to frown the others seated at the table.

"She's too busy working." Frank told him, wiping his mouth with his napkin while Shaun let steak juices dribble down his chin.

"You're a model employee." Hiccup said, smiling Astrid one more time before heading back to the kitchen.

"You're staring." Rachelle said simply as Astrids eyes followed Hiccup.

"Hm?" Astrid said, whipping her head back around to see the other two females grinning at her.

"You look like a lost puppy." Heather told her as she placed a forkful of schnitzel in her mouth. To save herself answering Astrid dipped the end of a piece of garlic bread in her soup and took a bite. Damn he was a _really _good cook.

"He's nothing special." Shaun's mouth was so full of food that it was difficult to interpret what he was saying, but Astrid got the general message. "Doesn't look like he could bench 100."

"Believe it or not Shaun, not everyone's worth is measured by their bench press." Heather said.

"Yeah, it might surprise you to know, but some people are actually _funny and intelligent._" Rachelle joined in, unable to resist the temptation of getting a rise out of Shaun. "And he can cook too."

"I can cook." Shaun defended himself while Frank sat and enjoyed his food silently, well used to this sort of banter.

"Protein shakes don't count." Astrid muttered, and Rachelle held out her hand for a high five as Heather choked on her food.

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><p>The rest of the meal passed without further mention of Hiccup, but as the group was making their way towards the door, he called out to Astrid from the kitchen. She stopped and looked to her co-workers for help, but all Heather and Rachelle did was sigh dramatically while Frank and Shaun continued on their way back to the office.<p>

"It's over. He's inviting you to dinner. I'll have to give up on him and find another man." Rachelle cried, one hand on her forehead as she pretended to faint in despair. Then she straightened up again. "This isn't over Hofferson. I'll get him one way or another! Just you wait!"

"Oh shut up." Astrid muttered as she turned away, already flushing. Rachelle looked at her in shock.

"Did she just-" Rachelle began.

"She did." Heather grinned as her gaze switched from Astrid to Rachelle.

"She's been hanging out with us too long." Rachelle murmured as she watched Astrid head back into the cafe. "We're a bad influence on her."

"_You're_ a bad influence." Heather corrected her smugly. "I'm her mentor and friend." While the two ladies were bickering with each other, Astrid reached the service window into the kitchen and tried to control her emotions.

_Okay Hofferson. Chill. He's not going to ask you out. He just wants to tell you something. He's going to tell you he loves you-What?! No. Just. Calm down. Deep breaths. _Astrids face showed no sign of her internal monologue as she watched Hiccup turn around and retrieve something before facing her again. Astrid did her best to keep her eyes on his face, an easy task since now that she was up close and really looking at him, she decided he really was cute. His mouth was moving. _Mmm, his mout-. _

"Sorry?" Astrid snapped out of it, completely missing whatever it was Hiccup had been trying to tell her. Her eyes dropped to the box he was holding out to her, it appeared to be filled with a variety of small biscuits and cookies.

"I said." Hiccup was smiling, and Astrid tried _really _hard not to look at his lips. "Take these back to the office with you. Something to keep you going during the day until you come back here for a decent meal." He placed the box on the sill and she looked at it hesitantly.

"Are you allowed to do this? Should Gobber sell them to me or something?"

"I'm the chef, I can cook what I want." He assured her.

"Do you do this a lot?" She asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"Give all the girls a gift." Hiccup looked genuinely surprised at that.

"What? No. It's just that Frank _did _say that you don't eat during the day, and I'd hate to see you waste away." Astrid glanced at him, then back at the box, then back to him again before cautiously picking up the box and putting it in her bag. "And I don't give any girls any gifts. This is the first time." She looked back at Hiccup as he spoke, unsure of what this meant for them. _What? There is no us. He's just being nice, that's all. _She told herself, but that little voice in the back of her mind hoped against hope for something more.

"Thank you." Her voice was little more than a whisper.

"No problems." Astrid had to consciously take her eyes of him when he smiled at her like that.

"I should. Probably, you know, get back to work." She stammered, trying to fight back the heat in her cheeks as she turned away and back out the door.

"What'd he give you?" As soon as she caught back up to her co-workers Rachelle wanted answers.

"Did you get his number?" Heather asked, despite herself, she also wanted to know. "Or his address?"

"No I didn't get anything like that." Astrid insisted, trying to figure out Hiccups reason for giving her the box. She told herself he was just being kind, but still, that voice in the back of her head was _really _hoping for something more.

"Well. Show us then." Heather effectively stepped in front of Astrid, blocking her path as Rachelle also stepped forward, nodding furiously.

"Okay okay, jeez guys. Chill out." Astrid retrieved the small box and opened it up to show her friends the variety of treats inside.

"Awww, I was hoping for a wedding ring or something." Rachelle pouted. "But I'll take one." And before Astrid could react, Rachelle had reached inside and nabbed one of the biscuits, popping it in her mouth with a grin.

"Damn that boy can cook." She sighed with satisfaction.

"You guys are welcome to them. I won't be able to eat them all." Astrid said, offering the box to Heather, who shook her head.

"We just had lunch. I'm good." Astrid shrugged and put the lid back on the box before putting the box back in her bag.

"I give it another month before he's invited you around to his house for dinner." Heather grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

"You should totally get with him Astrid." Heather told the blonde as they sat at their desks, a half eaten cookie in her hand. "If it means we get more of these biscuits, I will personally marry you two." Astrid no longer flushed whenever she and Hiccup were mentioned in the same sentence, she had spoken to him a few times and become more at ease around him. He hadn't made any obnoxious advances on her and he was a genuinely likeable person, and she was happy to go with that for now, even if that little voice in the back of her head was still wishing he'd ask her out.

"Haven't you got to be a minister to do that?" She called back, her attention switching between her computer screen and the papers on her desk as she created digital copies of personnel records.

"Whatever. Cookies." Heather finished the rest of her cookie and dusted her hands before leaning forward towards her own screen. Rachelle walked past Astrids desk and helped herself to one of the baked treats from the box which sat open on the desk.

"While I'd rather he married me, these are really good cookies." She said as she took a bite and savoured the taste of freshly baked cookie. While Hiccup hadn't insisted on replenishing their supply every other week, for which Astrid was grateful, he did sometimes "accidentally make extra".

"Cookies are good, but I need a coffee. Anyone else want one?" Astrid pushed back from her desk and stretched in her chair, groaning. Neither Heather or Rachelle said anything, so Astrid got up and took the elevator to the bottom floor. The Forge was only one block away so a coffee run was always an option. The weather had transitioned into Spring a few weeks earlier and Astrid enjoyed the pleasant temperature as she walked, when she reached The Forge Gobber looked up from the register and was already moving towards the coffee machine before the door had even shut behind Astrid.

"The usual?" He called, and Astrid couldn't help but smile.

"Am I really that predictable?"

"Yes." The big man smiled at her, fake teeth glinting in the light. Astrid knew it wouldn't take him long to make her coffee so she didn't bother taking a seat, instead she glanced over the variety of sweet and savoury offerings in the display cabinet.

"Please tell me that my cookies are better." A voice called from behind her, and she suppressed a smile as she turned to face Hiccup, leaning on the window sill like he'd done the first time she had been into the cafe.

"Oh yes, they go down really well with the girls in the office."

"I hope they don't expect me to give them cookies too." Hiccup pretended to groan.

"So why do you only give them to me if you know that Rachelle and Heather eat them?" Astrid asked, leaning against the side of the counter and looking at the young chef.

"Meh." He shrugged. "I don't want them to get the wrong idea. I've been trying to stave off their flirting for ages."

"And what about me?" Astrid asked, that old flustered feeling beginning to reappear in her chest.

"Elaborate." Hiccup said, playing dumb.

"How come you give me stuff, but not them when they've been flirting with you?"

"Because I'm not interested in them." He said simply. His bluntness surprised Astrid a little.

"...are you interested in me?" She said, surprising herself even more at her own audacity. How was it that in four months she'd gone from blushing and stuttering to straight up asking him if he liked her? Wonders shall never cease.

"Maybe. I'm trying to figure that out myself." Hiccup said, his eyes never leaving hers. Astrids cheeks were beginning to heat up again when Gobbers voice interrupted them.

"I hate to interrupt this lovely conversation, but your coffee is getting cold." He winked, pushing a takeaway cup across the counter to Astrid. She blushed fully as she remembered that he had been standing there the whole time.

"How long has it been ready?" Hiccup asked, not shaken at all by the fact that his boss had been watching and listening.

"Since _I don't want them to get the wrong idea." _

"Ah well, you'd better get back to work." He said to Astrid, who could only nod and make a hasty exit. Both Hiccup and Gobber watched her leave, and Gobber turned to Hiccup when she was out of sight.

"You could certainly do worse." He said innocently, pretending to be overly focused on cleaning the coffee machine.

"Tact is not one of your strong points." Hiccup replied, grinning at his boss.

"Hey, I was young once too."

"How many decades ago was that again?"

"Cheeky bugger. Get back to work." Hiccup gave a mock salute before straightening up and turning to the pile of dishes in the sink and rolling up his sleeves.

* * *

><p>Astrids mind was racing as she hurried back to her office, Hiccups words still fresh in her mind.<p>

_"...are you interested in me?"_

_"Maybe." _Her heart leaped a little when she thought back to that part of their conversation. She had become more at ease with him to the point where she was able to hold a proper conversation, but those thoughts of infatuation and relationships were still with her, just not so prominent. At least up until about five minutes ago. Her mind barely registered pressing the elevator call button and she didn't remember sitting down at her desk.

_He said he might be interested in me. But he isn't yet. But he **might **be. Do I want him to be interested in me? Of course I do. Am I overthinking this? _Once again her internal monologue occupied her attention to the point where she didn't hear Rachelle and Heather calling to her until they were essentially shouting at her.

"Earth to Astrid!" Astrid jumped a little in her seat as she spun to face Heather.

"Yes?"

"Damn girl, did something happen? You look out of it."

"No no, nothing happened." Astrid said, still in a little bit of a daze.

"Yeah sure." Rachelle said from the other side of Astrid. "And I can bench more than Shaun. Come on Astrid, 'fess up."

"I'm not exactly sure what happened myself." The blonde girl muttered.

"What do you _think_ happened?" Rachelle asked, scooting forward on her roller chair.

"...I think he likes me?"


	5. Chapter 5

Hiccup was just finishing the dishes when Gobbers voice called him out of the kitchen. Drying his hands on the cloth he kept tucked into his waistband, Hiccup walked up to Gobber and raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"Your dad asked me to let you knock off early sometime so as you could go and visit him and your mother." The bearded man explained.

"And who would you have in the kitchen? I'm your only chef." Hiccup said skeptically, thinking he'd caught Gobber out.

"Actually, I was thinking of hiring an apprentice." Gobber said, not looking at Hiccup.

"...Were you planning on telling me?" The younger man folded his arms and cocked his hip as he stared at his boss.

"Sure I was. Eventually."

"You sly dog. Do I get a say in this at all?"

"Of course you do. You get to say hello to him when he starts work." Finally Gobber could no longer pretend to clean the coffee machine any more and he turned to face Hiccup. The expression on the cafe owners face was mischievous, but left no room for argument. Hiccup searched for any sign that he was joking, turning his own thoughts over in his mind as he did, but he found none and eventually he shrugged in acceptance.

"Fine by me. I hate doing dishes anyway." Like most cooks and chefs, Hiccup enjoyed the preparation and eating part of his job, the clean up less so. "You said _when he starts work. _I take it you've already got someone in mind?"

"Of course I do." Gobber answered, turning towards the door as it opened and the sound of traffic got a little louder.

* * *

><p>The next week Gobber introduced Hiccups new underling, a young man who went by the name of Gustav. Slightly shorter than Hiccup, and with black hair, Hiccup shook hands with him as Gobber left them to it.<p>

"Done any of this sort of work before?" Hiccup asked, indicating the cafe and kitchen in general, and Gustav shook his head.

"No, this is my first placement."

"That's good. It means you haven't been kicked out of any other places." Hiccup grinned at the younger man, trying to put him at ease. Hiccup himself was only 21, but Gustav couldn't have been much older than 18. The two of them stood there for a moment, sizing each other up.

"What do you need me to do?" Gustav asked, and Hiccup was silently impressed at his eagerness.

"Well there's a side of beef in the cool room. If you could take that out and divide it up into steaks and portions for steak sandwiches, that'd be nice. Knives are on the wall over there, chopping boards are under the bench." And Gustav nodded. Hiccup didn't bother telling him exactly how to do his job, if Gustav was up to the task, he wouldn't need much instruction. "Oh and by the way." Gustav looked back over his shoulder as Hiccup spoke again. "You're on washing up duty." The apprentice rolled his eyes but didn't say anything, which Hiccup approved of. _Yes. _He thought. _It's going to be good having someone else here._

* * *

><p>Astrid was on another coffee run, this time with requests from Rachelle and Heather too. She had sort of become the unofficial coffee girl now that her two co-workers knew there was a possibility that Hiccup actually liked her, and they never missed an opportunity to ask her to go down to The Forge. As she approached the familiar glass doors, they opened from the inside and Hiccup stepped out, dressed in casual clothes with a backpack slung over one shoulder. Astrid had thought he looked cute in an all white Chefs outfit, but he looked outright handsome now. Even in a basic plaid shirt and some jeans. And unlike Shaun, rolled up sleeves <em>really<em> suited Hiccup.

"Running away?" Astrid asked as she walked up to him, grateful that her voice didn't crack. He looked around as he heard her voice and smiled at her, holding the door open and giving a mock-bow as she entered the cafe.

"Not quite." He told her as she passed him."I have a dinner date with my parents." Astrids heart fell at the word date, but jumped right back up again when he mentioned his parents.

"Oh, I thought you might have lived in the kitchen or something." She said, and Hiccup looked at her.

"You've been hanging around Rachelle and Heather too long." He smirked. "Clearly their sarcasm is rubbing off on you. What happened to the time when you used to blush every time I looked at you?" He winked and Astrid looked down and cursed silently as she felt her cheeks heat up. And they got even hotter when she heard him chuckle. "Ah, there we go." With that he took his leave, letting the door shut behind her.

"He's certainly not the shy little kid he used to be." Gobbers voice cut through her thoughts and Astrid looked up to see him behind the counter as usual. "Although sometimes I do wonder if he's a little _too _cocky."

"I didn't know he lived by himself." Astrid said, finding her voice as she stepped further inside the cafe.

"He's lived by himself for a couple of years now. Went to cooking school, became a chef, got his own place."

"What do his parents do?"

"I worked with his father on the boats, but as far as I know he left them soon after I did. His mother, Valka, she does...animal care? Vet? Something like that."

"Interesting family." Astrid mused before remembering why she was here in the first place. "Oh, right. The usual for myself and the girls."

"_And the girls_ now?" Gobber chuckled. "You fit in well around here Astrid." And the blonde girl let herself feel a little pride at Gobbers comment.

"Wait. If Hiccups gone, who's in the kitchen?" She twisted her head to peer through the service window and caught sight of a dark-haired young man hunched over one of the benches.

"That's Gustav." Gobber explained. The apprentice looked up at his name and saw Astrid looking at him and he froze. If Astrid didn't know better, she would have sworn he was blushing. She smiled at him and said hello, but that only served to make him _really _blush. Astrid was only turning twenty that year, but she suddenly felt a lot older as she watched the apprentice chefs mouth open and close as he tried to form a coherent sentence. She felt like she was watching a lovestruck 16 year old.

"Your coffee." Gobber said, and she looked away from Gustav and thanked the older man as she handed over the required amount of cash. Astrid glanced back at Gustav and smiled at him as she left the cafe, heading back to work.

"Careful Gustav." The apprentice came to his senses in time to register that Gobber was talking to him. "I think you'll find that Hiccup is already interested in her."


	6. Chapter 6

Hiccup shuffled closer to the table as he sat down, seated opposite him were Valka and her husband Stoick. When they worked on the boats together, people often mistook Stoick and Gobber for brothers despite the fact that Stoick had flaming red hair, both men were tall and bulky, with Stoick easily six-foot-six and probably half that across the shoulders. Valka was much slimmer than her husband, and at least half a foot shorter, but she had a calm and intelligent personality that matched well with her work as a veterinarian. These days Stoick spent more time repairing ships than he did out at sea, having left that life behind soon after Gobber.

"How's work son?" Stoick asked, digging into his meal with gusto.

"Same same." Hiccup shrugged, then after swallowing a mouthful of food. "You're improving dad." Many years at sea hadn't done much for Stoicks culinary skills, but he knew enough to get by and Hiccup and Valka were more than happy to let him cook every now and then. His father grunted in appreciation.

"And your friends in the office?" Valka spoke up.

"They're not really my friends, but they're fine. There's a new girl working with them." Hiccup looked down at his plate as he spoke, but with that annoying intuition that parents have, Stoick grinned at him.

"A new girl huh?"

"Yes, dad. A new girl." Hiccup was now intent on his food.

"What's her name?" His mother asked, and Hiccup knew she wasn't asking to annoy him but he still silently wished they could just eat.

"Astrid."

"Is she pretty?"

"Stoick!" Valka scolded her husband and he shied away, still grinning.

"Yes dad, she is actually." Hiccup didn't know what made him say it, maybe he just didn't want to admit that he was a little embarrassed to talk about her, but it was too late to take it back now. And he found that he actually meant what he said. Stoick opened his mouth to say something else, but a steely look from his wife made him think twice. While she was a naturally gentle person, marriage to an ex-fisherman had also given Valka a tough side, and the rest of the meal managed to pass in relative comfort on Hiccups part with no further mention of the pretty new girl.

* * *

><p>Astrid, Rachelle and Heather were sitting at their desks, working on the latest reports and personnel records for the higher ups when Heather called out.<p>

"Hey Astrid."

"Hmm?" Was Astrids only response as she remained focused on her work.

"Got plans for this weekend?" Rachelle looked across at Heather as she realised where this conversation was headed.

"No."

"Good. You can come to Shaun's birthday party then."

"Whatever."

"No takebacks." Heather said quietly, winking at Rachelle.

* * *

><p>"I NEVER SAID YES TO THIS!" Astrids voice carried loud and clear across the street as she argued with her two female co-workers.<p>

"Keep it down." Rachelle cautioned, holding out her hands in a gesture of peace. Astrid glared daggers at her friend but complied anyway.

"I don't recall every saying yes to spending my Friday night listening to Shaun brag about his benchpress and watching him get drunk."

"I do." Rachelle said, and Heather nodded.

"You did."

"I did not." Astrid insisted.

"You did." Heather repeated. "I asked you if you had plans. You said no. I said you can come to Shauns party then. You said whatever."

"Whatever is not yes."

"Aww come on Astrid." Rachelle whined. "It's not that bad. It'll just be us, Shaun and Frank. Frank will keep Shaun in line, but he's still funny when he's drunk."

"I'm not exactly a party person." Astrid continued, lowering her voice as they entered The Forge.

"First time for everything." Heather told her. Astrid still looked conflicted as they took ordered and took their seats.

"Think about it." Rachelle implored.

* * *

><p>So think about it she did. Astrid wasn't lying when she had said that she wasn't a party person. All through high-school she had been a straight A student, preferring to stay home and read instead of go out to parties. But, she did like her co-workers. And it wasn't as though she had any exciting plans for her Friday night. And if Frank was going to keep Shaun in line it might not be so bad...<p>

"Penny for your thoughts?" Hiccups voice brought her out of her reverie and it took her a moment to remember that she was sitting by herself in The Forge, waiting for her breakfast.

"It's...complicated." She said as Hiccup presented her with a bowl of bircher muesli and yoghurt. "You know you really don't have to bring my meals out to me every time."

"I don't do it every time." He smiled.

"Might as well." Astrid replied, picking up her spoon and mixing the yoghurt in.

"I could if you want me to."

_You probably would too. _Astrid thought to herself. She was silent for a moment as a thought occurred to her, and before she had the chance to dismiss the idea as outrageous...

"Have you got plans for Friday night?" Hiccup stopped in his tracks on his way back to the kitchen and turned back to look at her.

"...No." He said cautiously. "Why?" Astrid found herself fighting to keep her blush down as she mustered up the courage to continue speaking.

"Well...it's just that. It's Shauns birthday and he's having a party, and Rachelle and Heather sort of...coerced me into saying that I would go. But I kind of don't want to. But they're all my friends now. But I've never been much of a party person. So. I was wondering. If you had no plans...would you come with me?" She felt like she was part of a bad romance movie where the school girl asks her crush to prom or something, and she deliberately kept her eyes off Hiccup.

"Gobber?" Hiccup called, and Astrid looked up in surprise. What did Gobber have to do with this?

"Yes?" The owners voice came from behind his coffee machine, which obstructed Astrids view of him.

"Can I finish early on Friday?" Astrids heart leaped a little as she realised where this was going.

"Why?"

"So I can accompany Astrid on a date."

"Oh..." Neither Hiccup or Astrid spoke as they waited. "Sure, why not. Gustav managed to hold down the fort well enough when you were gone last time."

"Thanks." Hiccup sounded genuinely grateful but he was grinning as he looked back at Astrid.

"I'll see you Friday night then." And he left her to her breakfast.


	7. Chapter 7

Astrid was waiting for Hiccup after work on Friday night, nervously bouncing on her toes. She hadn't waited long before the door opened and Hiccup stepped out, dressed in casuals like the last time she had run into him outside The Forge.

"Thanks for this." She said as he walked up to her.

"No problem." He looked down at her and smiled, which caused something in her chest to warm her from the inside. "Lead the way." Astrid turned and headed for the bus stop. She had never bothered to learn to drive.

"We're catching the bus?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. It's just that I have a car. Where is this party?"

"Shauns house."

"In that case, I'm driving." Hiccup put a hand on her shoulder and nodded back towards the cafe, where his car was parked outside. What the heck, it was free. So Astrid followed him and got into the passenger seat.

"Do you know the way?" Astrid asked as Hiccup started up the car.

"Sure, I've been to Shauns house before."

"Oh okay then." She settled back for the ride, only to sit up straighter as she remembered something. "Why did you tell Gobber this was a date? You're not trying to pull a fast one on me are you?" Hiccup didn't take his eyes off the road as he answered.

"Well he wasn't likely to let me go if I told him I was going to a party now would he?"

"Touche'." Astrid conceded.

"And it makes Gustav jealous." Hiccup winked at her.

"Explain."

"Apparently Gobber caught him staring at you the first time he saw you. But please don't think that you're just a competition between myself and him. You're so much better than that." Astrid flushed and looked out the window, more used to casual flirting than this sort of sincerity.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

* * *

><p>They passed the rest of the car trip with the usual small talk, Astrid learned about Hiccups parents and some of his experiences in cooking school and Astrid told him about her final year of high-school and the daily antics of her office. They pulled up outside the block of apartments where Shaun lived and took the lift to his floor. Astrid knocked and the door was opened by Heather, who looked pleasantly surprised to see Hiccup standing next to Astrid. She let them in and Heather held Astrid back for a moment as Hiccup continued further into the apartment.<p>

"You devious woman." She grinned, and Astrid was confused before she continued. "Good move inviting him with you. This night just got a lot better."

"I don't really drink, just so you know." Astrid muttered, but Heather didn't hear her as she dragged the blonde girl inside.

"Happy Birthday Shaun." Astrid said as she spotted her co-worker.

"Thanks Astrid!" He spoke louder than usual, and Astrid could already smell a faint tinge of of alcohol on his breath as he hugged her. "Have a drink!" He shoved a plastic tumblr into her hand and she sniffed it cautiously before deciding against whatever was in it. Hiccup was seated on the couch, Rachelle sat next to him, not quite drunk yet but definitely tipsy. She leaned in, too close for comfort, but Hiccup just smiled politely and pushed her away gently. Frank stood behind them, leaning against the kitchen counter, glass in hand but as promised, he was certainly not over-indulging and was keeping an eye on Shauns behaviour. Heather had left Astrid and was sorting through the fridge, a variety of alcohol that would make any bartender proud was stored inside and she picked out a bottle and poured herself some. Astrid sat down across from Hiccup, and he smiled at her awkwardly as Rachelle scooted closer again. Just then Shaun turned on the TV and pulled out some microphones.

"Singstar anyone?" And Rachelle stood up and grabbed a mic, eager to get into it. Shaun sorted through the playlist and selected a song, stepping back and taking a breath as the lyrics popped up on screen. His singing wouldn't win any Grammys, but it was good entertainment for the night, and each of the assembled group took turns performing duets or solos if they felt particularly brave. The night progressed with various card games, more Singstar, even Mario Kart made an appearance, the collection of alcohol in the fridge also diminished as time went on, and Astrid was glad she didn't drink, if only so as she could remember Rachelle and Heathers drunken antics, the highlight of which was a particularly rousing rendition of Queens Bohemian Rhapsody. Somehow Astrid found herself sitting next to Hiccup as they watched Shaun and Frank battle it out on Mario Kart.

"You don't drink?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"A lot of the guys in cooking school did, but I never got into it."

"Smart move. I'd hate to think about what sort of stuff I'd get up to if I was really drunk." Astrid replied, looking across at her two female co-workers sitting with an arm around each other and singing some sort of old viking-type hymn.

"What, you didn't get up to any high-school shennanigans?"

"Of course not." Astrid balled up her fist and thumped him in the shoulder.

"Ow. That's new." Hiccup said, rubbing his bicep.

"Sorry." Astrid muttered, looking away.

"It's fine. I need someone to keep me in line every now and then." Astrid said nothing, trying to figure out if he was slyly suggesting that he liked her or if she was being over-analytic.

"Astrid!" She looked up as Shaun wobbled over to her, clearly having had one too many. "Come and dance with me." Frank had elected to stay on the mic, and Rachelle had detached herself from Heather to join him on the latest song to provide background music.

"No thanks Shaun. I don't like dancing." Astrid replied, and Shaun pouted.

"Aww, but it's my birthday. Pleeease?"

"Come on Shaun, she's said no. Why don't you show us your moves?" Hiccup interrupted. Shaun looked like he was about to ask again, but he brightened up when Hiccup asked for a display of his dancing ability.

"You got it." Shaun immediately took off his shirt and tied it around his head like a bandanna, breaking into some sort of dance which looked like it belonged in a grade school musical, much to Astrids amusement.

"Thanks." She muttered to Hiccup, and he inclined his head. Astrid was silent for a moment as she took in the general scene around her. "I think I want to go home." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Frank seems to have it under control here, but I'd rather leave before things get any more...iffy." Hiccup nodded.

"Fair enough. Do you want a lift?"

"Would you mind? I'm tired and I don't really want to catch the bus."

"Sure. Let's go." Hiccup stood up and went to find his car keys as Astrid navigated the mess of cans and plastic tumblers on the floor to reach Frank.

"I'm going to head home." She called over _Tainted Love_ which was the current song of choice. Frank nodded at her in understanding and she called out a final Happy Birthday to Shaun, who was still dancing and too wasted to hear anything but his own voice. Rachelle and Heather weren't in much better states, so Astrid stepped into the hall and Hiccup let the door shut behind her.

* * *

><p>"You're going to need to direct me to your place." Hiccup said as they drove away from the apartment block.<p>

"Right. Just keep going straight for now." Astrid told him, and he followed her directions for a while, the conversation a lot more subdued at this later hour. Soon enough Hiccup arrived at the small flat Astrid called home, and she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"You live by yourself?" He asked, looking through his windscreen at the small block of housing.

"Yep. I moved out once I finished high-school and I'm earning enough to pay my own way."

"Nice." Hiccup shifted his attention back to her as she opened the door and stepped out, then paused for a moment and stuck her head back inside.

"Uh, thanks for what you did with Shaun back there. He's a nice guy but I have to admit, I was a little worried about which way things could have gone."

"He is a good guy, but I've been to a couple of his parties before and he tends to go overboard a little. Nothing bad has ever happened though." Hiccup explained, and Astrid looked at him, taking in the realisation that a good looking boy had just driven her home after a party. She really did feel like she was living some sort of teenage romance movie. All that needed to happen now was a kiss.

_Nuh-uh. Not yet. _Astrid thought.

"Thanks for everything tonight Hiccup." She said as she straightened up.

"Don't mention it." He called from inside the car. "I'll see you at breakfast next week."

"I can cook for myself you know."

"Yeah but my cooking's better right?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay guys. I usually try to update every 3-4 days but between training commitments and starting work again, I've been pretty pressed for time. Anyway, here's some more for you to read. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

><p>Astrid slept in the next morning and was only woken by the insistent screeching of a very handsome parrot that sat in a cage on the other side of her room. Groaning to herself but not wanting to make her landlord angry, she rolled out of bed and drowsily refilled her birds food bowl.<p>

"You are almost more trouble than you're worth." She muttered, but her parrot, Stormfly, was too busy eating to pay any attention to her. Originally the landlord had been stoutly against having any pets in his building, but Astrid had haggled and argued to the point where Stormfly was allowed on a two-week trial stay. She was a well-trained bird and Astrid had managed to keep her relatively quiet for the two weeks through the use of a mirror which let Stormfly admire herself and keep her feathers perfectly trimmed. And when her landlord hadn't brought it up again, Astrid was happy to let it stay that way. Still yawning, Astrid managed to find her way to the kitchen where she rifled through the cupboards and retrieved a bowl and a box of cereal, and after pouring milk over the top she sat down to breakfast. While she had told Hiccup that she could cook for herself, "cooking" usually involved toast or cereal, and today, whether it was the late night or she had just become more accustomed to Hiccups cooking, she pushed the bowl away after a few mouthfuls. She sat quietly for a moment, wondering if Hiccup worked on Saturdays, before making a decision and pushing her chair back to go and get dressed.

* * *

><p>As usual, Gobber manned the coffee machine, the smell of which immediately revitalized Astrid as she stepped into The Forge.<p>

"Good morning Astrid." He called.

"Morning Gobber." She replied, her stomach growling at the smell of freshly cooked eggs and bacon coming from the kitchen. Astrid already knew what she wanted, so she stepped up to the counter and placed an order for pancakes and bacon. She handed over the payment and Gobber handed her the change.

"How was your date last night?" He asked casually, and it took Astrid a moment to remember Hiccups excuse for leaving early.

"Oh. It was...nice. We sat and talked and he drove me home at the end of the night." She didn't feel too bad about her answer, it was technically a half-truth.

"Ha. He's not big on romantic stuff, but he has a certain charm, I have to say." Gobber sounded like a proud parent, and Astrid silently agreed with him as she turned away and took a seat at an empty table. Her food took a little longer today, but because it was Saturday she didn't mind, and it still tasted as good as ever. After finishing her meal, Astrid stood up and went to leave her plate on the serving window sill to save Hiccup coming out to her table, but when she reached the window and peered inside, all she saw was Gustav hard at work.

"No Hiccup today?" She asked, and at the sound of her voice, Gustav looked up and almost dropped the pan he was frying mushrooms in.

"Oh-Astrid. H-hi. Uh, no Hiccup's not in today. I mean not yet! He's not scheduled to work till after lunch." Astrid scrutinized the young apprentice, trying to think of what his stammering and blushing reminded her of. Then she remembered, that was what she was like several months earlier the first time she'd seen Hiccup. She found it both flattering and a little embarrassing that Gustav had the same reaction to her, but she figured he'd get over it soon enough.

"He's not working you too hard is he?" She questioned.

"No no, not at all!" Gustav hurried to reassure her. "I mean he's tough sometimes, and he's a good chef. But he's not overly strict and he's pretty laid back most of the time." Then as an afterthought he added. "He hates washing dishes though." Astrid laughed a little at that and Gustav beamed at her.

"You're doing a good job, I couldn't tell the difference between your cooking and his." Astrid complimented him, and his smile widened, if that was possible. She turned away, leaving the apprentice to his work, said goodbye to Gobber and made her way home.

* * *

><p>Rachelle and Heather still looked very hungover on Monday, and once again Astrid was very glad that she didn't drink. But she couldn't resist teasing them a little.<p>

"How are you doing this morning guys?" She asked, a little louder than was entirely necessary, and the other two women groaned.

"Keep it down would you?" Rachelle muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Heather just slumped face down over her desk.

"Would you two like some coffee?" Astrid asked, finally taking pity on her friends.

"Yes please." They both groaned. There was still fifteen minutes till their day technically started so Astrid did a quick coffee run, returning with two steaming cups for her co-workers.

"So where did you run off to?" Heather asked after downing half her coffee in one go.

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"You left pretty early."

"How do you remember that? You were pretty far gone when I left."

"Actually I only remember being disappointed that I couldn't find you when I wanted you to have another go at Singstar with me."

"Was that before or after you guys started singing hymns?" Astrid smirked. Heather made an _I dunno _noise and returned her attention to her coffee as Astrid elaborated. "I left after Shaun started being a little _too _insistent."

"He didn't try and come onto you did he?" Rachelle asked, more lucid now that she'd had some caffeine.

"No, thank goodness. I left before he got that far."

"How did you get home?"

"Hiccup drove me." At that, both Heather and Rachelle immediately put down their cups and rolled closer to Astrid on their chairs.

"Did you make out in his car?"

"Did you get to third base?"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Details girl."

"No details." Astrid said firmly, holding up her hands to silence them. "No details because nothing happened."

"You're not serious." Heather moaned, looking crestfallen.

"I am serious. He drove me home, I got out, he drove off." Both girls stared at Astrid for a moment, trying to determine if she was hiding something from them, eventually they sat back.

"But you said you thought he liked you." Rachelle whined. "This was the perfect opportunity for him to kiss you. Party, drive home, goodbye on your doorstep."

"You've been watching too many bad romance movies." Astrid smirked, but her smile faded a little as she continued. "Yeah, I still think he likes me. I kind of hope he likes me. But nothing happened."

"Did you _want_ something to happen?" Heather asked, watching Astrid closely.

"Honestly? I don't know. It'd be nice I suppose, but neither of us has ever been in a relationship before-"

"How do you know that?" Heather interrupted, and Astrid told her about the small talk that occurred during the drive to the party.

"Weird. He always seems so confident." Rachelle mused. "But that makes him even cuter if he's inexperienced."

"Down girl." Heather chided her friend. "I still say you missed a golden opportunity." She told Astrid, but before she could reply, Frank and Shaun walked out of the elevator and a glance at the clock told them it was indeed time to start working again.


	9. Chapter 9

The weather rolled round into spring, and while this was a time Astrid usually enjoyed, she also hated this time of year because it inevitably meant-

"A-CHOOO!" Sniffling, Astrid grabbed another tissue from the rapidly diminshing box on her desk and blew her nose.

"Eugh." Rachelle made a face. "You sound like you swallowed a foghorn."

"Thanks." Astrid muttered, balling up the tissue and throwing it in the bin. "I can't help it, and it's happened every year for as long as I can remember. I always get sick at this time, and it's not hay fever. I checked with a doctor years ago. But it happens anyway."

"Maybe you should go home." Rachelle suggested. "I don't want to get sick too."

"Toughen up." Astrid retorted, sticking her tongue out at her friend. "I'll be fine."

Despite her assurances though, it wasn't long before Astrid decided to take Rachelles advice and finish early to go home for some rest. She'd gone through two boxes of tissues already, and looking at her computer screen was making her head hurt.

"I'll let Frank know what happened." Rachelle said as she made her way out, and Astrid nodded in thanks. On her way down to the bus stop, the smell of coffee coming from The Forge did more to upset her stomach than it did to settle it, but a hand-written sign on the blackboard outside proclaimed some of Hiccups fresh soup, and knowing that she would be in no condition to cook that night, Astrid stopped to order some to take-away.

"You look like the devil." Gobber commented as he handed Astrid her change.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special." Astrid said sarcastically. "But yes, I feel terrible, and Rachelle's covering for me at work so I'm going to go home and sleep."

"Good idea." Astrid stayed as far away from the kitchen window as possible, for fear of making Hiccup sick too, but she still had to step forward to accept her takeaway container of soup.

"You look terrible." Hiccup said, a look of concern on his face as he passed her order through, and Astrid groaned.

"I hadn't figured that for myself thanks." She knew he was worried about her, but her current state of mind didn't do much to help her.

"Hang on a second." Hiccup ducked back into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with some green leaves and a few bread rolls. "Those herbs should help clear up your head, put them in your soup before you eat it. And the bread is there in case you decide you actually are hungry."

"Thanks." Astrid peered inside the plastic bag containing her dinner before looking back up again at Hiccup and smiling at him. It felt more like a grimace though, and she quickly took her leave.

* * *

><p>"Are you two going out?" Hiccup looked around at Gustavs silent question, his mind working quickly as he tried to figure out who the apprentice was referring to.<p>

"Who?"

"You and Astrid." Gustav didn't look at Hiccup as he answered, but Hiccup smiled a little at his nervousness.

"No, we're not."

"Are you dating?"

"Is there a difference?" Hiccup countered with his own question.

"Well, yeah." Gustav replied, and Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"Please explain."

"Well." Gustav turned away from his workbench, putting down his knife as he took a breath, like a teacher about to delve into a topic in great detail. "Dating is like, getting to know a person better, you know. That's what the whole movies slash dinner slash lunch date thing is." He looked up at Hiccup, who had also put down his knife and was leaning back against his bench, arms folded as he listened. Although whether he was genuinely interested or just amused, Gustav didn't know.

"Go on."

"And then in a relationship is when you both actually acknowledge each other as boyfriend or girlfriend." Hiccup was still staring at Gustav, and the younger man held his gaze for a while before faltering and hastily turning back to his work.

"You've put a lot of thought into this." Hiccup mused, and Gustav flushed a little.

"...Maybe."

"Do _you _like her?" The question was so unexpected that Gustavs hand almost slipped and he nearly cut his finger with his knife.

"No of course not. Well. I mean-she's pretty." He stammered. But he stopped when he heard Hiccup chuckling.

"I appreciate the lecture Gustav, and if you must know, I do like Astrid. I don't know how much just yet though, if you understand what I'm saying."

"Gobber said you took her on a date the other night." Gustav sounded disappointed, and Hiccup didn't miss it in his tone of voice.

"Oh that. Don't tell him, but we actually went to a party with our friends." Hiccup winked.

"Damn you're good."

"You'll find someone some day Gustav."


	10. Chapter 10

Astrid was splayed out haphazardly on her couch, a cloth over her eyes in an attempt to escape her headache by avoiding any source of light and the container that had held Hiccups soup sat empty on the coffee table. As he had said, her appetite had returned after a solid 16 hours sleep, but she couldn't shake her headache and still had a runny nose. She'd have to thank him for the soup when she went back to work, actually she seemed to be thanking him a lot lately. Frank had given her a four day weekend to recover a little so she'd had plenty of time to muse over the young chef. Astrid was still confused about where they stood with each other, they were more than friends, of that she was sure, but she didn't know how _much_ more. He _did _seem to pay more attention to her than he did Rachelle or Heather, and she was flattered by that. But did that mean he liked her? And did he like her in _that _way? Her contract was due to expire at the end of the year but she had decided to attend the local college, so any potential relationship wouldn't be strained by distance. A degree was a degree after all, and Astrid planned to travel for a few months after graduating as a way to celebrate and reward herself for all the hard work she was going to put in. But back to Hiccup. Did he like her? Or was she misinterpreting all the signs? He had agreed to come to Shauns party with her, and he had watched over her with Shaun. Not that she needed it, but it was appreciated nonetheless. He hadn't tried to make any moves on her after he dropped her home and all the little cooked gifts had to mean something right? Ugh, boys were so confusing.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to Astrid, Hiccup was also thinking about her as he sat at home in his ground floor apartment. A black labrador retriever lay next to him on the couch, its head resting on his thigh as he looked, but didn't see whatever show was on the TV.<p>

"What do you reckon bud?" He asked, and the dog lifted its head. The canine was used to this sort of thing, his master had a habit of sitting on the couch and talking out loud when he had things on his mind. There was the time when Hiccup was going through cooking school and was having a hard time adjusting to the competition and ruthlessness that was a part of becoming a chef. And after he had moved out of his parents house he'd had his doubts about his ability to survive on his own, but he always seemed to be okay after he had talked to thin air for a while, the dog knew that.

"She's pretty great Toothless." Hiccup continued. "She's pretty, and by all accounts, she has a great work ethic. And she's got the brains to back it up. You know she's going to college next year? And when we were at Shauns party she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Actually I probably didn't need to step in with Shaun, but you know how he is, things could have escalated quickly." Toothless lay silently, listening to his master extol the many virtues of this Astrid girl.

"I don't know. I _think _I should ask her out? But I don't want to be too forward. Mind you it has been more than six months now. But is that too early?Remember bud, I've never been in a relationship before. She was really shy the first time she came into the cafe, but she's been hanging around with Rachelle and Heather and now she's confident, maybe a touch too sarcastic." He grinned at the thought. "Oh whatever, I'll probably go and do something spontaneous. That's how I moved out of home and enrolled in cooking school after all. The canine sighed and Hiccup looked down at him with a smile. "Aww, am I boring you you big baby? Sorry, I'll go get you something to eat." Hiccup gently lifted his dogs head off his leg, standing up to go into the kitchen with Toothless following behind him, tail wagging in anticipation. While Hiccup was a good cook, he didn't know much about animals besides the basics, not that Toothless was complaining. The tinned food disappeared quickly, and Toothless looked up, waiting for a refill. "Nuh-uh. You get enough extras from my dinner. You can wait a little now." The black dog let out a whine, but sat back on its haunches as Hiccup moved around the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for his own meal.

* * *

><p>Astrid stopped by The Forge the next week, and after several days of two-minute noodles she was fairly ravenous for a good meal before getting back to work. Hiccup peered through the kitchen window and smiled at her as she stepped through the front door.<p>

"Feeling better?" He asked, and she nodded at him.

"Much, thank you. That soup gave me a bit of a kick start."

"My pleasure." Hiccup returned his attention to his workbench, but he glanced back at Astrid as she placed an order for scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes and toast.

"You miss a few meals or something?" He asked as she made her way past the window on the way to an empty table.

"One does tire of two-minute noodles." She smirked, and he laughed.

"You wouldn't believe the number of times those kept me from going to bed without dinner when I was at cooking school."

"Surely you could just whip them up into something better."

"I can now, but I couldn't back then. I can give you a few tips if you want."

"That'd be nice." Astrid was about to move past the window, and Hiccup bit his lip as he thought for a moment, and then-

"Actually, why don't I just show you?" Astrid actually stopped in her tracks and stepped back into view.

"What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm asking you over for dinner." Hiccup put down his knife and looked at her. She was blushing again, like the first time he'd offered to take her plate all those months ago.

"Are you serious?" Astrid asked quietly, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Of course I am. I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't."

"Oh, okay. Um. Y-Yeah. I'd like that." She finally raised her head to look at Hiccup, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Great. What time is best for you?"

"That depends. I don't want to draw you away from work again."

"In that case, I only have the morning shift on Wednesday sooo...Wednesday night? Say, Eight o'clock?" Astrid was still having a little trouble processing the fact that this was actually happening. That Hiccup was actually asking her over to his place for a dinner date.

"...Eight. Eight o'clock. Wednesday night."

"That's what I said." Hiccup grinned.

"Okay."


	11. Chapter 11

**I have no excuses for the lateness of these next chapters except for writers block. And the fact that I didn't want to do any injustice to this story by rushing it or anything. Anyhoo, enjoy the update.**

* * *

><p>Astrid ate her breakfast in silence and didn't dare look at Hiccup as she made her way to work afterwards. The next thing she knew she was walking out of the elevator to sit down at her desk.<p>

"You okay?" Heather asked. "You still look a little off."

"I'm...fine." Astrid muttered, not sure exactly how to explain what had just happened.

"If you say so." Heather replied, glancing back at Astrid before swiveling in her chair to face her computer again.

"Have you ever been on a date?" Astrid said suddenly, catching Heather off-guard.

"I'm sorry?"

"Like, how do you go about...a date?"

"I've never really been big on the whole _date _thing, if you catch my drift." Heather said, pushing away from her desk to look at Astrid better. "Why?"

"I uh. Um. Sort of have a date...With Hiccup." Heathers chair was still rolling and she almost fell backwards as she jumped in shock. Taking a moment to recover her balance before moving over to Astrid as fast as humanly possible.

"When? Where? How? Details."

"Wednesday night. Eight o'clock."

"Fine fine. But how did this _happen_?" Heather was almost close enough to be considered as invading Astrids personal space as she gestured wildly, but the blonde was too busy replaying the conversation between her and Hiccup earlier to care.

"Two minute noodles. Breakfast. Then _how would you like to come over for dinner?_"

"What."

"I don't know. We were talking, as usual. And I was about to go and sit down for breakfast when he asked me if I'd like to go to his house for dinner." At that moment, the elevator dinged and Rachelle stepped out.

"Hey. You. Come here immediately." Heather snapped her fingers. Rachelle looked a little affronted at being spoken to in such a manner, but she reached them quickly.

"What?" She asked.

"Astrid has a date with Hiccup."

"What?" Rachelle repeated, looking from Heather to Astrid, trying to determine if this was some sort of joke. "Are you serious?" She asked Astrid, and the younger woman nodded.

"When? Where? How? Details." Rachelle ordered, grabbing the closest seat and sitting down.

"Something to do with two minute noodles." Heather smirked.

"I've never heard of that pick-up line before." Rachelle wondered aloud, looking confused and tapping her finger on her chin.

"That's because it's not a pick up line!" Astrid cried, finally returning to the present moment.

"Whatever." Rachelle stopped her tapping. "So. Are you going?"

* * *

><p>That Wednesday night, Astrid sat on her couch, nervously tapping her feet on the floor. Stormfly was fed, all the windows were locked, and all that was left to do was lock the door on her way out. She glanced at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes, it was 8.05 and Hiccup had said that he'd pick her up at 8.10. Originally Astrid had planned to catch the bus, but that was before she had remembered that she had no idea where Hiccup lived, and he'd insisted that it was no trouble if he picked her up. Stormfly let out a squawk and a few moments later Astrid stood up as there was a knock at the door. Trying <em>really <em>hard to not trip over her own feet, she unlocked the door to reveal Hiccup standing there, grinning at her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." Astrid fought to keep herself from blushing, but she felt her cheeks heat up slightly anyway.

"Cosy place you've got here." Hiccup commented, peering over her shoulder.

"It's not much, but it's home." Astrid pulled her keys out of her pocket. "So uh. Should we go?"

"Sure." Hiccup stepped aside to let her out, only to poke his head back inside as he heard another squawk. "Um, is that something you should check up on?"

"It's just Stormfly." Astrid nudged past him to go back inside and spent a moment sorting through the cupboards until she pulled out a stick of bird seed and hung it on the bird cage. "I just fed you like ten minutes ago." She muttered under her breath.

"Good looking bird." Hiccups voice made her jump and she turned to see him leaning casually on the door frame, looking at her parrot and for a moment Astrids mind reverted back to the first time she'd seen him leaning on the kitchen door frame at The Forge. The door opened directly into her living room, so it was easy for Hiccup to see Stormfly

"Uh, thanks. Sorry, we can go now. I just didn't want my landlord on my case about a rowdy bird."

"After you." Hiccup performed a mock-bow as she passed him and Astrid couldn't help but smirk a little. This time there was no squawking and Astrid was able to lock the door before following Hiccup out to his car.

"We're a little ahead of schedule." Hiccup informed her as he drove away. "I didn't know how long it would take me to get to your place, but it wasn't as long as I was expecting."

"Schedule? We have a schedule?" Astrid asked, immediately worried that Hiccup might be one of those people who were meticulous about everything and anything.

"I'm playing with you." Hiccup laughed and Astrid relaxed. "Sorry, old chefs habit. In cooking school they were always breathing down our necks about having everything cooking at the right time and having all your prep done to schedule so as all the food went out at the right times."

"Sounds pretty intense." Astrid mused. She didn't think she could handle the stress and rigidity of cooking school.

"You get used to it. And they're only on your case for the first six months or so. Then the instructors realised that most of us weren't complete idiots who couldn't tell the pointy end of a knife from the handle." Astrid laughed and felt herself relax a little.

"Don't tell me. The pointy end is the part you use to cut things right?" She asked jokingly.

"You'll be a chef in no time." The rest of the car ride passed in relative comfort, the two of them swapping little stories about their lives before that year, and then Hiccup was pulling into the residential car park of his apartment block. Astrid got out and followed him inside, and it wasn't long before Hiccup unlocked the door to apartment number 4 and let her inside.

"Welcome to Restaurant de Hiccup." He announced.


	12. Chapter 12

Astrid wasn't sure what she was expecting. Some small part of her mind had been holding out for a candlelit dinner and some good wine. Then she remembered she didn't drink, and while Hiccup was a good chef, she wouldn't have been surprised to learn that his pay was only slightly higher than hers. As it was, his apartment wasn't much different to her own either. A small living room with a dining table one the side closest to the kitchen, although unlike Astrids place, Hiccups kitchen didn't open up into the living room. The table was set for two, a standard set of dinner and dessert cutlery indicated to Astrid that he hadn't prepared a five course meal, which she didn't mind. As she took in the new environment, a furry black shape appeared at her legs and began sniffing her.

"Oh right. Astrid, this is Toothless. Toothless, Astrid. Be nice." Hiccup informed her as he shut the door behind himself. Astrid bent down to scratch Toothless behind the ears and his mouth fell open, tongue lolling out in pleasure. "You'd make a horrible guard dog." Hiccup muttered. "I hope you're hungry, it's pretty well done." He spoke as he made his way into the kitchen, leaving Astrid to give Toothless a belly rub. Now that he mentioned it, Astrid caught the smell of something cooking, and it made her stomach rumble. She followed Hiccup into the kitchen with Toothless trotting along behind her, but Hiccup held up his hand.

"Please, you're my guest. Take a seat and I'll bring your order out in a second." He grinned easily at her and Astrid shrugged as she turned back towards the table. She wasn't seated long before Hiccup appeared again, this time carrying a steaming plate of food.

"So did you actually cook with two minute noodles?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Uh, kind of." Hiccup muttered as he sat down, and Astrid could have sworn he was blushing. "Sorry."

"Don't be. It smells great." she replied and Hiccup bowed his head graciously.

"Help yourself." He held out his hands in a gesture for her to dig in, and she picked up the serving utensils and served herself some of what appeared to be noodles and beef. Astrid blew gently on her food before taking a mouthful, moaning slightly in appreciation.

"This isn't really two minute noodles is it? It tastes too good." She said after she'd swallowed.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Hiccup served himself some food as he answered her. "You'd be surprised at what you can do with cheap food if you just add some decent ingredients." They ate in silence for a while, Astrid simply enjoying the food and Hiccups company, Hiccup slyly feeding Toothless when he could. Afterwards they found themselves seated together on the couch, each of them with a bowl of Hiccups vanilla pudding.

"So how long have you worked for Gobber?" Astrid asked. Hiccup paused to swallow before answering.

"Four years at the end of this year." He said. "I started there in the final year of my apprenticeship."

"You could've had a degree in that time." Astrid replied, before realising how potentially rude that could have been. "Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Hiccup assured her. "I never wanted to go to college, but cooking school lasts for almost the same length of time as a basic degree." Astrid was still embarrassed at how wrong her answer could have gone, and Hiccup could sense that, so he continued. "What are you going to study next year?" Still, Astrid hesitated a little before she replied.

"Teaching."

"Really? How come?" Hiccup was genuinely curious.

"Well I'll never be rich, but I'll never be poor." Astrid explained. "There's always an opening for a teacher somewhere, and if I decide to major in English or something like that, I can teach internationally. But I've got a few years before then."

"Good plan." Hiccup finished the last spoonful of his pudding before holding out the bowl for Toothless to lick.

"You could always find work as a chef." Astrid looked at him as she spoke. "Even internationally if you want to."

"Maybe one day." The two of them sat silently, neither of them sure about how to continue the conversation.

"How do you find Rachelle and Heather?" Hiccup asked eventually.

"Oh they're great fun." Astrid laughed. "Quite the characters, but they're good workers and they know how to have fun."

"They've only been here about 18 months longer than you have."

"And have they spent all that time hitting on you?" Astrid teased.

"Pretty much." Hiccup smiled, and Astrid found herself unable to look away from him when he did that. "But they seem to have stopped lately."

"Is that a good thing?" Astrid asked cautiously, knowing full well that her co-workers now liked to play matchmaker instead of flirt.

"In a way." Hiccup seemed to be avoiding giving her a direct answer, but then again she hadn't asked a direct question yet.

"Do I flirt as well as they do?" She murmured, regretting the question as soon as it had left her mouth.

"I wasn't aware that you were flirting with me." Hiccup cocked an eyebrow at her, holding her gaze until she flushed and looked away and he laughed.

"Shut up." Astrid said, giving him a punch on the shoulder.

"For the record, you're a much better flirt than they are. More subtle and much more fun." Hiccup told her and she felt her cheeks heat up.

"You're cute when you blush." Hiccup said it so quietly that Astrid wasn't sure that she'd heard him right, but when she looked up at him again, he was looking at her strangely. It was an intense look, but gentle at the same time and Astrid felt herself locked in place. Suddenly Hiccups face turned red and he broke eye contact.

"Sorry. That was out of line." He muttered, trying to distract himself by picking up the now empty pudding bowl that Toothless had left.

"No, it was nice." Astrid said, watching him. She was surprised that Hiccup could act like this, it was so out of line compared to what she was used to. "I've never been told that before."

"I've never told anyone that before." Hiccup finally had to straighten up and look at her again as he spoke. Astrid had leaned forward to watch him as he retrieved the bowl, and when he sat back up again he suddenly found himself very _very _close to Astrids face. Astrids lips went dry and she reflexively licked them to keep them moist, and she noticed that Hiccups eyes darted down as he noticed. Some part of Astrids brain told her that this was really cliche' and that nothing was going to happen, but another, bigger part of her brain told her that she should seize the moment, so she leaned forward gently and pressed her lips against Hiccups. The taste of vanilla still lingered on both their lips, which was a very pleasant taste indeed, and to Astrid it seemed as if they fit together perfectly. Then she realised what exactly was happening and the logical part of her mind reasserted herself and she darted backwards, blushing furiously.

"Uhhh. I uh. Um. I mean-Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Wow." That one word from Hiccup made her stop her rambling and look at him. "That was...really nice."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have been so forward." Astrid muttered, still blushing.

"No no. If anything you should be more forward. That was something else." Hiccup looked a little dazed, and for a moment Astrid thought he might be hallucinating or something when he spoke. "Will you go out with me?"

"...I'm sorry?" She asked, now certain that her kiss had done some sort of damage.

"I'm asking you to go out with me." Hiccup repeated.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. My name is Hiccup. Full name Hiccup Haddock. I work at The Forge cafe on the corner of Berk Street and Hooligan lane. Down from the Government building where you, Astrid Hofferson, work. And I am asking you to go out with me." Astrid was dumbstruck.

"But...why?"

"Because you're beautiful, you're way more fun to talk to than Heather or Rachelle. Don't tell them I said that. You're an all round amazing person and I really can't think of an appropriate way to describe just how amazing you are and that kiss was the single most memorable moment of my life and I'd really love to have more of those moments with you."

"You certainly have a way with words." Astrid took a deep breath as she sat back, hoping that nobody pinched her because she didn't want to wake up from this dream.

"I didn't want to be too forward with you in case you were leaving for another college next year but if you're staying here I'd really like to give this a shot." The floodgates seemed to have opened for Hiccup and he was now talking at the speed of light.

"Just. Give me a moment here." Astrid said, holding up her hand. Hiccup stopped talking immediately, not wanting to mess this up. Astrids mind was in overdrive. Hiccup wanted to go out with her. He really did. It wasn't like he was asking her to marry him, but it still made her so stupendously happy. He had a point, she wasn't going anywhere next year, she could really do this. She, Astrid Hofferson, could have a relationship. For once both parts of her brain seemed to be in agreement. The logical part told her that this could work, and the part that held out for candlelit dinners and romantic kisses was yelling at her to say yes. She took another deep breath and Hiccup braced himself.

"Okay." Astrid said.

"Okay?" Hiccup looked confused and worried, trying to determine if she was agreeing to go out with him or if she was about to launch into a myriad of reasons why she wanted, but couldn't do this.

"I'll go out with you." Astrid said it slowly and clearly, trying to convince herself as much as Hiccup that this was happening.

"Seriously?" Hiccup practically lit up.

"Seriously." Astrids face finally split into a massive smile, and Hiccup slowly mirrored her as he finally realised that she wasn't turning him down and he leaned forward to embrace her.

"I can't tell you how happy I am right now." He murmured.

"I have a pretty good idea." Astrid smirked, and Hiccup laughed.

"Um. Can I kiss you again?" He sounded hesitant and Astrid was amused at the idea that this was the same guy who had flirted so easily with her earlier that year. And she found that she thought it was kind of cute.

"Please do."


	13. Chapter 13

Astrid had barely drawn a breath before she was assailed by Rachelle and Heather the next day after stepping out of the elevator.

"How did it go?" Heather got in first.

"Did you go all the way?" Trust Rachelle to get down to the nitty gritty.

"What's he like at home?"

"Does he kiss well?"

"We need to know-"

"Everything." Astrid raised her eyebrows and looked from one to the other as she waited for them to calm down.

"Are you done?" She asked finally, having eventually made it to her desk. Neither of her friends spoke, but their expressions told her they were expecting answers, and despite herself, Astrid was happy to give them.

"First question. It went great-" She began

"Are you a thing now?" Heather interrupted. Astrid was irritated at first, but she couldn't stop herself from breaking into a smile.

"Yes we are."

"Awww yeah. That's my girl." Heather held out her hand for a high-five, which Astrid obliged.

"But did you go-"

"We did not go all the way, thank you very much." Astrid cut off Rachelles question, knowing what it would be. "But he _is _a very good kisser."

"You sly thing." Rachelle grinned. "So is there room for two at his house?"

* * *

><p>"You're looking very cheerful today." Gobber said as Hiccup entered the kitchen through the service door, a spring in his step and a smile on his face.<p>

"I suppose I am." Hiccup replied as he donned his apron.

"And why is that?" Gobber spoke as he produced another cup of coffee for a waiting customer.

"I'm going out with Astrid now." Hiccup felt no need to make up a story or an excuse, he had nothing to hide after all.

"Called it."

"You did not."

"Did too."

"When?"

"Months ago, about the time you gave her that batch of cookies." Hiccup made a face as he tried to remember.

"Are there any other moments I've forgotten but you've remembered that I should know about?" He asked eventually.

"Probably." Gobber looked very smug as he handed over the customers coffee, and Hiccup made a mental note to try and remember more from now on.

* * *

><p>Frank offered his congratulations when Rachelle and Heather broadcast Astrids new relationship to himself and Shaun as they entered the office later that morning, Shaun was rather indifferent about the whole thing.<p>

"Have you thought about extending your contract here at the end of the year?" Frank asked Astrid. The question caught her off guard as she was still rather elated after last night.

"I didn't think I could?"

"Of course you can. If you apply for a contract renewal and the higher ups approve it, then you can stick around for a bit longer. Didn't anybody tell you?" Frank looked around at the others.

"It's been a busy year." Rachelle shrugged. Frank looked rather annoyed, but he looked back at Astrid as she spoke.

"I appreciate the new information Frank, but my original plan was a year with you guys and then onto College. I've got enough saved up now anyway so I'm sticking to that."

"Fair enough. Be a shame to lose you though."

"You know you don't get away without a farewell party don't you?" Heather called.

* * *

><p>The year progressed and the weather moved into Winter and Rachelle, Heather, Astrid, Frank and Shaun spent a whole day putting up Christmas decorations at the first sign of snow. Despite Astrids initial hesitation, she was happy for any excuse to celebrate Christmas and the crew insisted it was tradition, which she was more than willing to partake in. She and Hiccup also progressed, she spent more time with him after work and he was happy to sit and listen to her tell stories about happenings at the office. He spent several nights at her house when she insisted that he stay after a late shift at work, seeing as her house was closer than his. Admittedly Toothless was not happy to be left alone the first night, but Astrid was also happy to let him stay too, and eventually they worked out a system that involved Hiccup dropping Toothless off at Astrids house in the morning, taking Astrid into work and then crashing at her place on the nights he worked the late shifts. Toothless seemed rather amused by Stormflys ability to talk and one time Astrid came home to Toothless sitting on his haunches, watching Stormfly strut up and down in front of him like a commander in front of his soldiers. Gustav had been a little upset when he found out that Hiccup and Astrid were together, but Gobber made sure he had plenty of work to keep his mind off things, another Christmas tradition was apparently ordering way too much food from The Forge for the staff Christmas party, and it was a unanimous agreement to invite Hiccup, Gustav and Gobber into the office on the Friday afternoon of the party. Gobber closed early that day and proved himself a dab hand at making cocktails as well as coffee, much to Heather and Rachelles delight. Those two also took great pleasure in openly flirting with Gustav, declaring that one of them would have him now that Astrid had Hiccup. Although Gustav seemed more interested in talking to Shaun and listening to his <em>"101 tips for getting the girl"<em>. Tip #1 was of course, the need to bench press.

"Your attention please!" Rachelle and Heather had commandeered a desk and now stood on top of it so as to be the centre of attention. Hiccup stood with his arm around Astrids shoulders, both of them holding plastic cups filled with soft drink and a little bit of Gobbers select alcohol. It was Christmas after all, and all eyes were on the two ladies atop the table in the middle of the room.

"And so we celebrate the closing of another year." Heather began.

"This is new." Frank muttered to Gobber. "Normally they just make a loud noise in the corner."

"However this year is special, for we also celebrate, and lament, the loss of one of our treasured workers who is leaving us for the adventures of College life." Rachelle continued. Astrid saw where this was going and buried her face in Hiccups shoulder in embarrassment. Her boyfriend on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying this immensely.

"Astrid, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to have you working with us. When you first came into our office, you were a green and naive highschool graduate. But with our careful mentoring and guidance, you have become a proper woman, even somehow managing to bag yourself a boyfriend before either of us." Rachelle pointed to herself and Heather, who was pretending to pout, and Hiccup gave Astrids shoulders a squeeze as she finally looked up at her co-workers, her face bright red from all the attention.

"So." Heather picked up the speech. "We wish you all the best in your endeavors, be sure to visit, and you really do need to let us know what he's like in the sack." It was Hiccups turn to flush and look away as everybody in the room followed Heather and Rachelles lead and raised their cups in a toast.

"Good luck Astrid!" They called, before tilting their drinks and in the case of the two girls and Shaun, downing the entire contents.

"They know I'm not really leaving right?" Astrid whispered to Hiccup. "I'm only going to be twenty minutes away at the college."

"Ah let them have their moment." Hiccup replied, still a little red. As the party began to pick up again, Frank maneuvered his way through the room to talk to Astrid.

"I thought you'd like to know, I'm being promoted in the new year." He began.

"That's great Frank!" Astrid cried, leaning forward to hug the person who had been her unofficial boss for the past twelve months.

"Thanks, but let me finish. I'm not leaving a massive hole to fill in the office, and most of the work could be done be Shaun, Rachelle and Heather. But there are opportunities for government scholarships where you receive some help for your fees and in return, do some work during the semester breaks. Part-time, full-time, whatever you want and whatever's available. So if you want, I could put in a word for you and maybe get you one of those. That is, if you think you can handle putting up with this lot during your breaks."

"I'd love to." Astrid beamed, hugging Frank again.

"Good luck with everything." Frank said as he walked away. Astrid looked up at Hiccup, still smiling.

"Seems like you're pretty well set for the next few years." He grinned, giving her a kiss.

"Looks that way." Someone had managed to drag a TV and Singstar into the office and some rather loud and tipsy-sounding vocals were already making themselves heard. Astrid was feeling a little buzzed herself, and she thought it was best if they left while they could still think properly. "I think that's our cue. Want to go home?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure the others can handle themselves." Hiccup let his arm drop and the two of them make their way towards the exit This time Astrid made sure to let her friends know she was going, and some final hugs took place before she and Hiccup finally stepped into the waiting elevator.


	14. Epilogue

Astrid collapsed onto the couch next to Hiccup, who was sitting with one hand scratching Toothless head as the canine lay across his masters lap. Stormfly, not wanting to be left out, flew across the room to perch on the headrest behind them.

"Long day?" Hiccup asked, giving Astrid a welcome-home kiss.

"Yes." Astrid groaned. "There's so much to learn. And we got given an assignment already. We've only been back three days."

"Things get more full-on in the second year." Hiccup said sagely.

"Obviously." Astrid shuffled in her seat and leaned her head on Hiccups shoulder, closing her eyes. "Oh, you'll never guess who I saw today."

"Who?"

"Heather and Rachelle!"

"You saw them for three weeks just before. During your holiday work."

"Yeah but they were at the College." Astrid explained.

"Oh, that's new. How come?"

"Apparently there's a thing in government now where employees, once they reach a certain level, need to obtain certificates in business or management. So they're both there for those courses."

"Talk government to me." Hiccup quipped, and Astrid punched his shoulder. "Ow. Y'know, the first time I saw you, I never picked you for the violent type."

"What did you pick me for?" Astrid asked, baiting him.

"Pretty. Intelligent. Beautiful." Hiccup said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah but I can get away with this." Astrid thumped him again, lightly this time.

"Says who?"

"Nobody. But I know I can because you love me." Astrid kissed him as a silent apology, and Hiccup was satisfied with that.

"The things I do for love." He sighed, lifting his arm and let it fall across her shoulders as he hugged her closer to him. They sat quietly for a while, both of them content to just enjoy being with each other. That is, until Astrids stomach rumbled.

"When was the last time you ate?" Hiccup asked immediately.

"About lunchtime."

"You really shouldn't go so long without food. What do you want to eat?"

"Let's go to The Forge."

"I seem to spend more time there than I do at home with you." Hiccup pretended to groan.

"Yeah, but you're not working this time. And that means there's no dishes to clean up here." Astrid pointed out.

"...Good point. Let's go and see how Gustavs cooking is holding up."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Fin<em>**

**There we go. Took a little while but I finally managed to finish this story. I do apologise if it seems to you guys like this ending was rushed, but I could feel myself beginning to lose interest in this and I didn't want to leave it unfinished like so many others. The ending, and even the story in general is certainly not my best, and ****I didn't feel I could draw it out and focus on Hiccup and Astrids developing relationship as much as some previous works. I know, I fell into that trap of ending the story as the relationship starts, b****ut I think I did a passable job of working on their relationship leading _into _their actual relationship. Anyhow, I'm probably going to go dark for a while, got to figure out my own College stuff and juggle work with that too. So until inspiration strikes again, take care of yourselves guys.**


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